No one was seriously injured in the blaze - but it could have been different were it not for the brave pair.

Firefighters tackle the blaze last night (pic by Julia from Chloe Boutique and Hat Hire)

The dad, 64, lives on the same floor as the flat where the fire broke out.

The man, who works as a member of police staff based at Sutton station, heard a faint beeping noise and checked the rooms in his own flat before looking down the corridor and seeing smoke pouring from his neighbour's letter box.

He ran to the flat and felt heat on the door. He called to see if anyone was inside and heard faint cries for help.

The man, who has asked not to be identified, rushed back to his own flat to get some tools and his 20-year-old son.

The duo called to the person in the flat to get clear of the door before they kicked it down. Once they got inside, they found the occupier, aged in his 30s, leaning against the door.

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The have-a-go hero said: "The smoke was thick and black, and it consumed the hallway very quickly. The occupier was only in his dressing gown and the back of his gown was smouldering."

Another neighbour carried the injured man, who had sustained burns and was suffering from smoke inhalation, down the stairs while the man's son knocked on doors to evacuate people.

PC Andrew Lee who was on duty yesterday evening, said: "The father and son both did a truly amazing job. I was astonished when I was told how they had reacted to the fire. In our opinion, the occupier would have died if they hadn’t acted in the way they did and we will be putting them forward for an award."

The flat affected by the blaze has been completely gutted and a section of the roof has been destroyed.

The cause of the fire is unknown. Police remain on the scene and an investigation is underway but a spokesman for Sutton CID said there is no suspicion of arson at this stage but they will keep an open mind until London Fire Brigade has carried out a full investigation.

Neighbour in other flats in the block were all evacuated but have since been allowed back into their properties after they were deemed safe by a surveyor.